Simple Mango Chia Pudding

McKel Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

Dietitian, Founder and CEO

In the 3 years Nutrition Stripped has been in this digital world, it’s odd that I’ve only shared one chia seed pudding recipe when I typically make chia seed pudding on a weekly if not daily basis! I’m putting a stop to that today by adding one of my favorite chia seed puddings I’ve been making this winter to get out of my winter weather funk. It’s my way of tricking my body into thinking that I’m actually enjoying this on a beach somewhere in the tropics, but I digress I’m in Nashville and it’s freezing!

SIMPLE IS ALWAYS BEST

I had the best tasting mangoes I’ve ever had while in Thailand, they truly tasted like candy it was incredible. On my travel bucket list this year includes revisiting Thailand and going to India for sure amongst others like Copenhagen, London, NYC, and Australia. That’s a bold travel list, eh? If any of you have been to India I’d LOVE to hear your experiences, advice, and anything that helped you travel there. Okay, back to mangoes. Mangoes are one of my favorite tropical fruits, I’d have to say it’s about #3 or #4 after digestive friendly pineapples and papayas! Just as all fruit and vegetables that are in the same color family they tend to have similar nutrient profiles and nutrition in them- for example the yellows and oranges in produce represent vitamin A, beta-carotene, and typically vitamin C as well. Mangoes are no exception, they’re great sources of vitamin A, C, K, beta-carotene, folate, choline, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and fiber. Like all tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya, bananas, guava, etc.; they’re also higher in sugar than other fruits like apples and berries. No worries, my rule of thumb when eating higher sugar fruits is to make sure you’re eating it alongside protein, healthy fat or both of them. This chia seed pudding is a great combination of healthy fats, fiber, and protein all aimed at helping your body balance blood sugars even more. Hooray for food combining!

I have a beautiful chia seed pudding in the Nutrition Stripped Cookbook that’s a great baseline for chia puddings and going over the basics, BUT you’ll have to wait for the fall of 2016 for that one. If you’re in the NS Society you already have a staple chia seed pudding that I routinely make and I’ve been loving your remakes and creations using it! If you’re not a member yet to the Nutrition Stripped Society, learn more here and sign up to join the fun.

Tips: double the batch and make breakfast for your busy week! Something we do and talk all about in the Society (not a member, sign up here).

Go to the tropics, even for a minute with this Simple Mango Chia Pudding

Soak the chia seeds with minced ginger, vanilla, and both the almond milk and coconut milk for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally until a gel forms. You can make your chia seed pudding thicker by reducing the liquid or adding more liquid to make it thinner- I like these ratios used here.

Simply pour the chia seed pudding into 2 serving glasses (serves 2), top with diced mango and top with garnishes above.

Store in the fridge as a leftover, enjoy chilled or at room temperature. Store on the go in a mason jar with a lid.

THOUGHTS?

What’s your favorite tropical fruit? Have you made chia pudding yet? Let me know what you think when you give this recipe a go! Leave a comment and rate it, rating helps me continue to improve recipes for you. I love seeing what you come up with so don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #nutritionstripped on Instagram!

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McKel is a leading voice in nutrition and health, awarded "Top 20 Role Models" named by Arianna Huffington. As an RD and author of the Nutrition Stripped Cookbook — her mission is to teach others how to apply the science of nutrition and practice the art of healthy living by creating long-term health change out of daily practices. Featured in: Oprah.com, The Good Life by Dr. Oz, SELF, Vogue, Bon Appetit, Real Simple, Women's Health, and other major media outlets.

Directions:

Soak the chia seeds with minced ginger, vanilla, and both the almond milk and coconut milk for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally until a gel forms. You can make your chia seed pudding thicker by reducing the liquid or adding more liquid to make it thinner- I like these ratios used here.

Simply pour the chia seed pudding into 2 serving glasses (serves 2), top with diced mango and top with garnishes above.

Store in the fridge as a leftover, enjoy chilled or at room temperature. Store on the go in a mason jar with a lid.

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